UPDATED Oct. 1, 2012: Our final sponsorship total for Blog Month is 3,159.

When a team of bloggers visits the field, challenging questions often come up in response to what they experience. For Brianne McKoy that question was, “Would Jesus sponsor a child in poverty?”

On Brianne’s blogger trip to the Philippines she pondered and researched that question. Below is the answer she received.

God is truly faithful to provide us answers when we come to Him with our questions!

Speaking of faithful…

So many of you have faithfully written about children in poverty throughout Blog Month. We are grateful for each and every one of you!

Throughout October we will highlight several of the best posts submitted by you. And be on the lookout next Monday for an announcement of the Blog Month winners!

Where is the verse that says,

“Thou shalt sponsor a child in poverty”?

I know the verses in the Bible about helping the needy and giving to the poor.

But is sponsorship the way to accomplish this?

This question made itself at home in my mind while traveling to the Philippines. It’s been kicking around up there for five days now. And you know what? I didn’t know how to answer it.

So the pondering and the research began …

Then I thought of this verse,

“Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.” Mark 10:14 (NIV)

This came from the mouth of Jesus. Jesus said,

“Let the little children come to me.”

Something incredible has been happening every time I have stepped into a child development center this week. I meet children living in desperate poverty and they’re praying. They’re reading the Bible. They’re reciting the Word of the Lord.

They’re children. And they are being brought to Jesus. Their circumstances aren’t hindering them. The lack of all things material is not hindering them. Living in a home that would cause most of us to lose all hope isn’t hindering them.

At this center I met a girl named Mary Rose. I asked her what her favorite verse is.

She was so excited I asked her! Her whole face lit up and she said in one breath,

“Mark 10:14, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these.’” (NIV)

As you can imagine, I was beyond delighted to hear this.

I asked Mary Rose why she loves that verse and she explained (with a passion I rarely see),

“Because the children need to know who Jesus is. I want to teach children who He is.”

She’s 14 by the way.

After talking to her, my question popped up into my head again,

“Would Jesus sponsor a child in poverty?”

Then Janna came up and grabbed my hand and asked if I would sit with her for lunch. What a treat!

I asked her what she wanted to be when she grows up. You’ll never believe what she said. (You’ll have to listen closely. The background noise makes it difficult to hear her.)

She wants to be a missionary. She wants to tell people that Jesus died for their sins.

And then my question dropped from me.

I’m not going to say whether I think Jesus would or would not sponsor a child in poverty. I will say that Jesus wanted the children to come to Him.

I think a church — located in the midst of poverty, ministering to all the needs of the children (physical, spiritual, socio-emotional and cognitive) and sharing what the ultimate hope is, sharing that the children have a Savior and He knows their names — well, I think that is a pretty good way to bring the children to Jesus.

As a sponsor, I was really encouraged today. Today, I received a subtle affirmation,

“You are bringing the children to Me.”

Do you know what Jesus did after the children were brought to Him?

“And He took them in His arms and began blessing them, laying His hands on them.” Mark 10:16 (NIV)

Thank you for bringing the little ones to Jesus.

Note: This post was originally published in June, 2011 as part of the Philippines Blogger Trip.

Over the years I have come to see Jesus through Compassion in so many different ways. I’m pretty sure Jesus would say something like, “I don’t care if you sponsor them, adopt some, live among them and provide for their needs….just do something!”

Sponsorship is not the only way, it just happens to be a really, really good way….something many of us can do without much effort. Compassion is so well-organized, so thorough..they have done the ground work and need our financial support to do more.

I often view my sponsorship relationship as one of discipleship. And it goes both ways – I have often been encouraged and taught by the very ones I set out to encourage and teach.

I often wonder the same thing—if sponsorship is the way to add those in poverty; I’m glad that you brought up this concern and that I’m not the only one thinking about it! Thank you for sharing your experiences. You make a wonderful point and bring up some things that I’m sure to continue thinking about.

I’m pretty sure Jesus would say something like, “I don’t care if you sponsor them, adopt some, live among them and provide for their needs….just do something!”

YES YES YES.

I have a heart for adoption, and one day I would love to give a child a home, love, hope… but I also have ME and I’m single. It makes thinking of family painfully difficult, because I don’t know if I will ever have that chance.

But through Compassion, I am able to love and parent children who desperately need to know that they matter, and that they are loved. To me, that is a very precious gift.

Mathew18-6 “But if anyone causes one of these little ones(children) who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and he be drowned in the depths of the sea.”

I paln to become like and sponsor one of these children for they will be the greatest in the kingdom of heaven

Hi i read your blog and as i was reading the part about the bible verse Let the children come to me ….I just had to share with you the song i wrote for Compassion International and the video I made. If you go to my site http://www.barbara-anne1.com and click on the video link at the top of the home page you will see the music video i made for them. I recieved a letter from Wes Stafford thanking me for sharing my song with them. I feel blessed to be a music artist advocate for Compassion. I sure would appreciate it if you would give it a listen and then share with as many of your friends as posssible to help spread the news about Compassion. Bless you, Barbara A.

Proverbs 19:17
Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward them for what they have done

Matthew 25:40
“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

Hebrews 6:10
God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them.

1 John 3:16
By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.

Galatians 5:22-23
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

But the one that sums it all up and says that we should sponsor and He would definitely sponsor . . . John 15:12
“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. ” Because to truly love would mean that we would not turn our heads and look the other way. Love means we will look into the pain and get our hands dirty if we must! Praise God!